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DRAFT OPINION (COM(2025)0838 – C100305/2025 – 2025/0358(COD))

On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of European Business Wallets

IMCO-PA-786736

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection · Rapporteur: Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová

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This is the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee's draft opinion on the proposed regulation establishing European Business Wallets, submitted to the Industry, Research and Energy Committee. It proposes 23 amendments to the Commission proposal. The amendments add that public authorities' early use of the wallets should encourage small and medium-sized enterprises, sole traders and self-employed persons to adopt them, and that the wallets should be accessible, affordable and easy to use for these operators. They require interoperability between the wallets and existing EU and national systems, open and interoperable standards allowing users to switch providers, and a publicly available list of notified providers updated without undue delay. They also require providers to be established in the Union and not controlled by a third country, add a complaint mechanism for supervisory bodies, and require annual reporting by the Commission to Parliament and the Council.

Committee position. The committee proposes 23 amendments to the Commission proposal, adding safeguards for small and medium-sized enterprises, sole traders and self-employed persons, interoperability and open standards requirements, Union establishment and control conditions for providers, a complaint mechanism, and annual reporting obligations.

Key points

  1. Recital 5 would require compatibility between the various European Business Wallets and between them and existing Union and national systems, using existing EU digital infrastructures where technically appropriate.
  2. A new recital 10a states that early use of the wallets by public authorities could encourage economic operators, including small and medium-sized enterprises, sole traders and self-employed persons, to adopt them.
  3. A new recital 13a says particular attention should be given to small and medium-sized enterprises, sole traders and self-employed persons, and that the wallets should not create disproportionate burdens and should be accessible, affordable and easy to use.
  4. Recital 19 would add that economic operators may continue to use other legally valid means of identifying, authenticating, submitting documents and receiving notifications.
  5. Recital 20 would require the Commission, when defining technical requirements, to keep them technologically neutral and adaptable to technological developments, including emerging technologies, and to take international standards and best practices into account.
  6. Recital 21 would add healthcare to the sectors in which the wallets should enable sector-specific use cases.
  7. A new recital 33a states that technical standards and protocols should rely on open and interoperable standards so that economic operators can switch providers without undue barriers and keep their data, credentials and attestations usable.
  8. Recital 41 would require the Commission's list of notified providers to be updated without undue delay, and would deem notification complete where the competent supervisory body does not respond substantively within the prescribed period.
  9. Recital 54 would allow the Commission, where appropriate, to take reciprocal arrangements with third countries into account when assessing their frameworks.
  10. Article 5(5) would require the Commission's implementing acts to cover the implementation and interoperability of the core functionalities, and Article 7(2) would require providers to be established in the Union and not directly or indirectly controlled by a third country or third-country entity.
  11. Articles 10 and 12 would require the European Digital Directory to be secure and accessible only to wallet owners, their authorised representatives and providers, and the list of providers to be machine-readable and updated without undue delay.
  12. Supervisory bodies would have to set up a complaint mechanism for substantiated complaints, particularly from wallet owners, and report annually to the Commission; the Commission would report annually to Parliament and the Council.

Who is affected

  • Small and medium-sized enterprises, sole traders and self-employed persons: the wallets should be accessible, affordable and easy to use, without disproportionate burdens.
  • Providers of European Business Wallets: they must be established in the Union, not be controlled by a third country, and follow open and interoperable standards.
  • Public sector bodies: they must have European Business Wallets and may use them for additional purposes.
  • National supervisory bodies: they must set up a complaint mechanism and report annually to the Commission.
  • Economic operators established outside the Union: they may be issued wallet owner identification data without undue delay after successful identity verification.